Networks, and in particular, the Internet, have revolutionized communications. Data vital to the continued prosperity of the world economy is constantly being exchanged between end-users over these networks. Unfortunately, the expansion and maintenance of present networks is outpaced by the demand for additional bandwidth. Network equipment is often difficult to configure, and qualified network engineers are in extremely short supply. Thus, many needed network expansions and upgrades must be delayed until these engineers are available. While these upgrades and expansions are pending, end-users continue to suffer poor network performance.
Cisco™ routers, for example, are notoriously difficult to configure—especially in light of the new XML-based interfaces introduced by competitors such as Juniper Networks™. Instead of a user-friendly XML-based interface, Cisco uses a cumbersome command line interface (CLI) for its routers. Cisco's CLI is the result of many years of semi-controlled modifications to its router operating systems and has resulted in a tangled mess of commands and subcommands. This cumbersome interface is one reason that Cisco requires that Cisco-certified engineers work on its routers.
Cisco could reduce the complexity of its routers and reduce the need for Cisco-certified engineers by producing a user-friendly interface. If Cisco attempted to abandon its CLI in favor of such a user-friendly interface, however, many years of development and expertise could be lost. Moreover, even if it could develop a user-friendly interface, there is presently no economical way to integrate it into the thousands of existing Cisco routers.
Despite the difficulties in implementing a more user-friendly interface, to remain competitive, Cisco and similarly situated companies need to move away from their present interfaces. Present technology, however, does not provide these companies with an acceptable option that allows continued use of their extensive interface knowledge base, whether it be CLI or some other type of interface, while simultaneously providing system administrators and network engineers with a user-friendly interface. Moreover, present technologies do not provide an acceptable way to provide backward compatibility of new user-friendly interfaces with existing network devices.
Cisco, of course, is not the only network device manufacturer to face this interface-upgrade problem. Many manufacturers would like to continue using their existing interface knowledge base while providing system administrators a user-friendly interface that is consistent across multiple platforms. Accordingly, a system and method are needed that will allow manufacturers, like Cisco, to create user-friendly interfaces for both next-generation and existing devices.